The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says a 3-year-old boy is in serious condition after being shot in the mouth - reportedly as he and a 4-year-old neighbor were playing with a gun.

Lt. Susy Johnson says the 911 call came late Friday night after the boy's father heard a loud noise from the bedroom of their home in Lake Stevens. He told authorities he found the door locked, forced it open and discovered the boy with a mouth injury. But he said he initially thought it was caused by the door striking the child.

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When the child was examined at Providence Medical Center, doctors determined it to be gunshot wound. The boy was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Detectives say the 4-year-old may have accidentally shot the 3-year-old, but that remains under investigation. Johnson said in a news release Saturday she didn't have any information about the gun or where the children got it.